Biological machine learning

Countless molecules can cure disease, and billions of molecular variables might have a beneficial effect.

The problem has been working out which. But now machine learning can crunch through the vast possibilities, so the era of “generative biology” is upon us.

Why? Google’s Deepmind has developed Alphafold, an algorithm dedicated to protein structure. If it reveals how protein structure is related to protein function, the path to creating bespoke proteins with bespoke therapeutic functions opens.

Why Not? The great leap forward could arrive tomorrow, or in a decade.